Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
186. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the re-wetting of bogs; the progress which has been made in terms of the number of hectares that are now rewetted; how successful the programme is; the plans to expand areas to be rewetted over the next one, two and three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14595/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraGreenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from peatlands, including wetlands and grasslands on peat soils, represent the largest sources of emissions in Ireland’s Land Use, Land Use Change & Forestry (LULUCF) sector. The restoration and rehabilitation of peatlands is a key element of Ireland's Climate Action Plan in relation to the LULUCF sector. Specifically, Climate Action Plan 2025 sets out a combined target of 65,900 hectares of peatland rehabilitation by 2030. Ministerial responsibility for the sectoral emissions for the LULUCF sector was assigned by Government in July 2022 to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, coordinating with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The most significant programme of this type currently being carried out in the State is the Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme (EDRRS). This scheme is operated by Bord na Móna (BnM), with my Department administering the project and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage involved as the scheme regulator.
BnM has rehabilitated approximately 22,500 hectares of peatlands under EDRRS to date, with work continuing to reach the scheme target of 32,779 hectares. This rehabilitation work is already delivering significant benefits for the environment, particularly carbon storage and reducing carbon emissions. It is also enhancing ecosystem biodiversity by restoring natural peatland habitats.
Separate to rehabilitation by BnM, significant progress has been made by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and others towards the target to rehabilitate an additional 30,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2030, with work continuing in this area.
My Department continues to engage with BnM and other stakeholders to identify further peatlands rehabilitation opportunities up to 2030.
